Selecting Your Preservation Priorities? What is Essential and Where Can You Be More Flexible?

Abigail Christman is a Principal City Planner in Landmark Preservation at the City and County of Denver. Abigail has a varied background having previously worked for consulting firms, Colorado Preservation, Inc., and the University of Colorado Denver. Her experience includes Section 106n consultation, reconnaissance and intensive-level surveys, National Register nominations, HABS/HAER/HALS documentation, neighborhood pattern books, preservation tax credit certification, interpretation, public outreach, and serving on the Denver Landmark Commission. Abigail also teaches a graduate course for CU Denver titled Historic Buildings in Context. Abigail holds a B.A. in History from the University of South, a M.A. in Public History/Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University, and a M.A. in Histories and Theories of Architecture from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, England.

Savannah has been staff to the Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission for almost 10 years. Savannah has a varied background having previously worked for consulting firms. Her experience includes Section 106 consultation, historic building surveys, National Register nominations, and grant writing. Savannah holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Communication from Western Kentucky University and a M.A. in Public History from the University of Louisville.

Michelle Michael currently serves as the Historic Preservation Planner for the Town of Wake Forest, a role she has held since 2014. She earned her Master of Historic Preservation degree from the University of Georgia in 1994 and has worked in various roles, including at Preservation North Carolina, as a private historic preservation consultant, and as an architectural historian for Fort Bragg Army Installation and the Department of the Navy. As the Architectural Historian for Navy Commander Region Southeast based in Jacksonville, Florida, she provided historic preservation support to twenty-two military installations across seven states. Michelle left that post to return to North Carolina to work for the Town of Wake Forest where she promotes and educates the public on the importance of historic preservation in town planning. Recent projects that Michelle has managed include the Architectural Survey Update (1958-1975), Northeast Community Plan Update, Historic Preservation Plan Update, Ailey Young House Rehabilitation, and currently, the Ailey Young House Heritage Site/NE Gateway Park Concept Plan. Michelle received the Robert E. Stipe Professional Award from Preservation North Carolina in 2023.

Evan Schueckler currently serves as Manager of the Historic Preservation Program for the City of Portland, Maine. He primarily oversees the review of applications for work to locally protected historic structures, working with property owners, design teams, and contractors to ensure that historic buildings retain their character even as they are updated and adapted to modern needs. Additionally, he works with Planning Department leadership on policy and long-term planning issues, administers the City's preservation-related grants, and staffs the Historic Preservation Board.

Prior to joining the City of Portland, he worked as an Associate Landmark Preservation Planner for the City and County of Denver, and before that as a Junior Designer and Historic Preservation Specialist with Historic Building Architects in Trenton, New Jersey. Evan holds a bachelor's in the History of Art and Architecture from Harvard University and Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.